Young War
by TennantDoctor
Summary: The Doctor, in the midst of a planetary civil war, rescues a young girl after her parents are brutally taken from her. Ill and frail, the Doctor realises the child will only survive if she stays with him until she is better. But how is he going to handle a child who has just lost everything she holds dear? How will the Doctor cope with having to step back into fatherly duties?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! So after a long break and an attack from the plot bunnies, I'm back in business. I'm really sorry for my absence, but University drains you like nothing else will. This is a re-vamped version of my old story 'Young War', and I promise it will be completed this time. Nothing much has changed in this chapter, but when I read through my other chapters I wasn't happy and it gave me the boost to begin writing again, and even re-design the cover.**

 **So without further ado, here's the first chapter - please read, review, but most of all, enjoy!**

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The Doctor was running.

No, not just running. He was _sprinting._

Another barrel of gunfire erupted somewhere from the Time Lord's left as he dodged another crashed and mangled vehicle, trying to manoeuvre away from any screaming or shouting that he heard. His long brown coat flapped behind him as he jumped over a large crack in what used to be a road, his hearts trying to pump the adrenaline through his veins to keep him focused and alert.

Within the course of an hour, the Doctor had witnessed the planet Oplixion fall into the depths of civil war. A fixed point in time, the Doctor knew he could do nothing to prevent it, but hadn't known when he had first landed. And now, he was running for his life. The two sides couldn't be reasoned with and everyone in this city was destined to _die_. Innocent women and children. Families. Everyone. No matter who they were or what they stood for.

Even with his superior Time Lord abilities and stamina, the Doctor had his limitations and he began to feel a stitch rising in the right side of his chest, not realising he had been running for what was now around half an hour. He spotted a pile of debris approaching him and he flung himself down behind it, not caring about the stones or broken pieces of glass digging into his knees and hands as he sat, panting to catch his breath. The stitch continued to aggravate him and he winced in pain slightly, holding a hand to his right heart which he could feel wasn't beating as fast as his left.

"Oh, I'm getting old," He grunted, banging his fist on his chest to entice his heart to catch up with the other. "Come on, don't fail me now."

As he was catching his breath, he took the time to glance around the city. Once tall standing buildings or alien works of art now lay broken and mangled on the streets. Smoke clouded the area like mist and explosions could be heard from every direction, whilst the smell was like a chemical plant mixed with the stench of burning oil and debris. Guilt overwhelmed the Doctor when he spotted what were obviously corpses lying on the road ahead and he turned his head away, knowing there was nothing he could possibly do for them now.

An ear-splitting and threatening roar of battle cries emitted from behind the Doctor's hiding place and he instantly got to his feet despite the stitch still throbbing in his chest. He glanced behind him but could see no platoon of Oplixions moving towards him and instead could only see the black smoke swirling in the air. He set of running again, hoping he was going to be lucky and miss the invading forces like he had done for the past mile or so. He could sense his beloved time-machine was bearing closer so he kept moving down the city streets.

Coming to a particularly sharp corner, the Time Lord slowed his pace and placed his long frame against the wall, peeking his head and his dust covered spiky hair around the wall to check the street was clear. With no sign, the Doctor stepped out from his cover and jogged down the street, passing more abandoned vehicles and homes as he did so.

Suddenly, a powerful crash and an intense blast of hot air from his side sent the Doctor flying to the ground and he landed on the hard surface with a cry of pain he couldn't contain. Dazed, he flipped himself onto his back to the see the building he had been running past was now a mangled pile of debris and the dust and smoke made the Time Lords eyes sting as he rushed to get to his feet. He spotted a couple of Oplixion warriors appearing from within the smoke, tall, reptile looking creatures with metal guns the size of small tree branches. The Doctor's hearts bashed furiously against his chest as he forced his weariness to one side, turning to flee from the approaching warriors whilst hoping they hadn't spotted him.

However, as he set of his long limbs to run, the Doctor unexpectedly found himself falling when his left leg didn't touch any ground. His body connected painfully with the stones and dirt and then the Doctor began to tumble down a steep slope, unable to stop himself as he toppled further and further down. He bumped into stones and yelled out in agony when his leg was caught by a piece of glass sticking out from behind a brick. Finally rolling to a halt, the Time Lord groaned, teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut as he felt a trickle of blood escape from the fresh cut in between his knee and foot. It took him a moment to realise he had fallen into a giant crater embedded into the road.

"Oh, that's deep…" The Doctor muttered to himself, referring to the cut on his leg as he stumbled to his feet, joints clicking back into place earning another pained moan from the Time Lord. Knowing he had no time to discard or lick his wounds, the Doctor staggered to the beginning of the slope, feeling another drop of blood slip down to his socks. "I liked these socks too…"

He began to climb the mountain of stone, finding it slightly difficult with his now bruised and battered body. His converse-clad feet slipped a couple of times before he finally reached the top, grabbing the edge of the road and haling himself back up into the war torn city.

That's when he heard it. His sensitive hearing picking up on a sound he recognised almost instantaneously. It was the sound of crying.

Pushing the rest of his thin body up onto the road, the Doctor momentarily stood for a few seconds in the middle of the destruction, focusing upon the distant sound of sobbing. His instinct was telling him to continue on to find the TARDIS, shouting at him, reminding him that everyone was meant to be _dead,_ but something was making his hearts tell him otherwise. Pin-pointing the muffled crying to a half-collapsed building on his right, the Doctor made his decision and limped towards the entrance. Maybe there was someone he could save…

The wrecked building creaked and groaned as the Doctor entered through the smashed doors, holes and bricks scattered everywhere on the floor. As he continued on, his ears perked up to listen out for the sobbing. He quickly realised the crying was coming from the upper floor and as his long frame turned for the stairs, he caught the horrific sight of blood which was smeared up each step until it stopped at the half-way point. The Doctor's throat tightened and he swallowed thickly as he began to make his way up the stairs, careful not to step in the blood. When he reached the half-way point, his eyes were diverted to a human figure lying next to the wall. He sadly glanced at the clear glistened look within the man's eyes, studying a couple of blue markings around the temples, before turning to climb the second half of the stairs. He had to keep telling himself there was nothing he could do.

Reaching the top, the Doctor heard the crying coming from the room directly in front of him and he carefully limped towards the door – he'd experienced a fair few traps in his life, and there was always room for him being lured somewhere by the sound of crying to be put on the cards. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver when he was met with darkness, his eyes darting around the room to check for any signs of life. Once he had taken a few steps in, he raised the screwdriver and activated its blue light, using it as a torch for navigation around the cold and dark room. The sound of gun fire and loud explosions could be heard clearly outside.

The room looked like it had been an office, with tables and cabinets leaning against the walls, but none of them were upright. Some were torn in half, others had simply smashed and were covered in black soot from the smoky atmosphere. "Good job I'm not here for an appointment," the Doctor muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the Time Lord's ears caught the sound of the timid crying and sniffing emit from the far corner of the room and he quickly turned his sonic screwdriver in the direction it was coming from, squinting his eyes as he looked on. He instantly noticed the outline of a tiny figure and he raised a curious eyebrow. He couldn't make out any features or details from where he was and so he began to approach as slowly as he could.

When he finally got close enough to see, the Doctor realised the tiny figure was a small, frail young girl who was curled up tightly in the foetal position. Her face was buried into her scraggy clothed arms with long, brunette and curly hair draped over her small shoulders. She was wearing no shoes and the Time Lord could see her once pretty dress was now torn and mangled with dirt and tears, staining the red and deep gold fabric. The corner she was huddled into was damp, and the child was yet to notice the Doctor's presence. He lowered the blue light emitting from the sonic screwdriver so it didn't startle the young girl as he advanced gradually towards her.

"Hello," He whispered quietly, putting on a calm and gentle voice. Another loud explosion rocketed outside, making the building shudder and shake but the young girl seemed to ignore the obliteration that was happening around her. If the Doctor was going to do something, he needed to do _that_ something very soon – the whole building could be swarming in warriors in seconds. "Listen, I'm the Doctor, I'm here to help."

The small child continued to sob but her face began to slowly rise from her crossed arms, finally taking note that she wasn't alone in the war-torn room. The Doctor halted in his progress towards the young girl when he saw her moving. "It's okay - don't scream, I'm not here to hurt you," he assured her, holding his hands up in reassurance. He caught a glance at her face for the first time and both his hearts dropped at the sight. Her small, fragile face was dotted in scratches and dirt, her eyes bloodshot from her vigorous crying. She possessed the same blue markings as the male that lay dead on the stairs and the Doctor took a wild shot in the dark and guessed that it was most likely her father or an older brother, definitely a relative. She stared intently at the tall, thin man in front of her for a few moments, tears still running down her cheeks.

"That's it, it's alright, ey?" The Doctor said comfortingly. He gradually lowered himself into a crouching position so he was just at the child's height, watching her as she finally began to make movement, all the while trying not to show he was in pain. It was slow, but the young girl uncurled her legs and began to raise herself from the pitted ground, her shaky breaths being the only thing the Doctor could hear for a few seconds. "What's your name?" The Doctor asked to try and entice her more, but got no reply. Instead, the girl tried to take a step towards the Time Lord whilst looking into his old brown eyes with sorrow and intense fear - and collapsed.

The Doctor just managed to reach his arms out in time to catch the small girl before she hit the dirty floor, holding her carefully. His brown orbs scanned the child for any obvious injuries, but there appeared to be none other than a few scratches and bruises. He quickly lowered his right ear to her mouth and he sighed with relief when he heard shaky but clear breaths.

The girl suddenly coughed, startling the Doctor, and he quickly became even more concerned when the coughs turned into violent fits rapidly and the girl convulsed in obvious discomfort in the Doctor's arms. He held her head up with his long fingers, realising there was something wrong - something very wrong indeed.

"Come on, don't do this - you're gonna be fine." He stated to the girl even though he knew the possibilities of her hearing him were slim. A single drop of blood escaped from the child's lips, just as another explosion rocked the building. The Doctor would have to move fast…how could he leave her here? He couldn't run away, leaving her here to simply be killed by the soldiers or crushed if the building was to come down. If that was her father on the stairs, then it was more than likely any other relative wouldn't be around.

 _Not everyone…not everyone. Not everyone dies._

With his mind firmly made up, the Doctor got to his feet with the girl securely held in his arms and quickly exited the cold and damp room. He made sure she hadn't woken up when he carried her past the body before he limped out onto the street, looking left and right with the sonic still clasped in his hand that was holding the young child's legs. Smoke still loomed in the atmosphere and the Time Lord looked down to face the child, noticing another drop of blood running down from her mouth onto his brown coat. He needed to get her back to the TARDIS. Fast. He had saved her from the building, and now he had to save her from whatever was slowly killing the young child.

Walking close to the buildings so he wasn't exposed in the middle of the street, the Doctor frantically tried to reach out for his ship, feeling for her presence. A large amount of shouting and gunfire caught the Doctor's attention and he shot a glance behind him. His hearts leapt with fear when he caught sight of what looked like two army vehicles appearing out of the smoke, alien weapons concealing the metal on the sides, making them look like lethal beetles ready to strike.

With no other option, the Time Lord turned and began to jog as best he could down the battered street, his bruised and injured body proving speed to be a difficulty. But even with his injuries, he still ran at an impressive speed and eventually sprung into an alley way to avoid being seen by the approaching vehicles.

It was then he recognised a broken and battered sign lying by his feet, something he had spotted as soon as he had landed on the doomed planet. It was merely a sign for a street, but when he turned around to peer deeper into the dark alley, he grinned with glee.

"There's my girl," the Doctor murmured, and began to limp towards the familiar blue box which was conceived in the darkness directly at the bottom of the alley.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2, my lovelies! Very medically this chapter, so if I've gotten anything wrong I apologise.**

 **Please read, review, but most of all, enjoy!**

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The Doctor flung himself into the TARDIS as fast as his long legs would allow, making sure he didn't harm the young girl in his arms whilst doing so. A bullet narrowly missed flying into the TARDIS as the thin blue doors were slammed shut by the Time Lord's back, with more and more bullets soon raining down on the ships exterior like rain hitting the windscreen of a car. He backed away from them slowly, and then turned to limp up the ramp towards the console.

Casting a glance down at the child in his arms, the Doctor noticed fresh blood was still dripping from her mouth whilst her small and fragile face was pale and dangerously grey. The patterned blue marks on her left temple were also beginning to grow paler as if to show the life slowly slipping away from inside her.

"Come on, don't you dare," the Doctor muttered through exerted breaths, ignoring the niggling pain he was experiencing through his own minor injuries as he carefully lay the small girl across the jump seat to keep her steady, her frame hardly filling up the space on the cushioned seats. He decided to take his long brown coat off so he could use it to cover the girl, before he spun around on the spot to face the TARDIS console – before he could save the little girl, it was best to get his ship out of the war-torn city.

His fingers were soon flicking switches and pulling levers, kicking the large, green rotor in the middle of the controls into life which filled the room with a slow groaning noise as the TARDIS disappeared from the dark Oplixion alleyway. The ship tumbled slightly to the left as it buckled into motion and the Doctor immediately rushed back around to the jump seat and held onto the little girl who was still unconscious, making sure she wasn't going to suddenly fall from the seating. He didn't let go of her until the machine had settled in her flight and the green rotor stopped completely.

Knowing they were both away from any danger, the Doctor could finally place his full attention onto the sick little girl, who he was now _desperate_ to save. He reached down and scooped her back into his arms, her light form causing no bother for the Time Lord as he set off down the corridors of the TARDIS. The cut on his leg throbbed in response to his fast paced walking but he refused to let it bother him. He had to save her, it was his responsibility now. It would be a lost cause if he let her die.

Rushing through a big silver door that slid open when the Doctor approached, he practically sprinted to the nearest medical table and carefully placed the child onto the cold metal and unwrapped his bundled brown coat from around her form so he could see all of her clearly. Her long dark hair fell away from her now even paler face and the dried blood was scattered over her thin cheeks. The Doctor found one of her hands and seized it in his, his hand seeming gigantic compared to her small fingered limb. Her skin was ice cold.

"Let's get you sorted, ey?" the Doctor muttered quietly but confidently, gently placing the small hand back onto the table. Before he even considered injecting her with anything, he had to confirm her species.

Even though the child appeared human, the blue markings on her temple suggested otherwise and so he extracted the sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket and ran the tool up and down her still frame, the blue light illuminating the tattered and marked dress. After a few seconds, he held the device up to his ear as it bleeped faintly with the results he was looking for. For a man who knew just about everything, there were the odd moments when someone would baffle the Doctor completely.

"Of course…you're a Morabian," the Doctor specified, holding out the sonic screwdriver once more to scan at the young girl's temple. From what he could remember, the Morabians' were a humanoid species who lived on the planet Sliv'ial in the White Star Galaxy. The Doctor had only ever visited the White Star Galaxy once in his long life and that had been hundreds of years ago, but they were practically similar, if not the _same_ , to humans. The only thing concerning him was the blue pattern. Nonetheless, he would have to place his curiosity aside for a later time if he was to save the little girl's life.

Rushing over to one of the metallic surfaces which was covered in medical gadgets and gizmos, the Time Lord rummaged around looking for one particular object until he spotted it lying at the end of the table. It resembled a small, paediatric breathing mask which he placed over the little girls face and activated with the sonic screwdriver, oxygen flooding the mask which hopefully would help the little girl to breathe. He then marched back over to the same place once again and opened a large cupboard containing boxes upon boxes of empty syringes and other medical equipment. He plucked one out and stepped up to the table, cautiously lifting the child's right arm with his hand and, once he found a vein, inserted the long thin needle into the skin without hesitation.

"For someone who's called the Doctor, I still don't do so well with needles," he commented to no one but himself with the girl still out cold. He extracted a small amount of her blood into the syringe which turned out to be a slightly paler red than he had expected, since most humanoid figures shared the same typical dark red blood. Once he was satisfied, the Doctor slowly withdrew the needle and used a cotton bud to stop the bleeding on the small pale arm, before he trailed over to another pile of medical gadgets. Picking up a small tube, he withdrew the blood into it and acquired the sonic screwdriver once again, aiming at the slim tube that held the red liquid. His eyes glanced over to the child whose breathing had become less ragged, but didn't look any less pained.

After a few moments had ticked by, the Doctor's tool let out a loud beep and he glared his dark brown eyes at the test tube with even more concern now rushing through his hearts. The scan from the blood rendered inconclusive, and the Doctor sighed heavily whilst running a hand through his wild hair. He was going to have to test the blood on something which would work better than his sonic screwdriver, and for a few minutes, he set up the blood in a scanner which he knew would take a few minutes to collect any data.

Whilst the little girl's blood was being scanned, the Doctor cleaned up her bloodied and dirtied face and placed a blanket over her to keep her warm, hoping the TARDIS would have a supply of clothes he could dig out later to get her out of the tattered dress. He then positioned himself at another part of the med bay which contained shelves upon shelves of chemicals and medicines the Time Lord had collected over his nine-hundred years. He picked another syringe out of the draw and began to mix together different cocktails of liquid which included basic medication that would induce blood flow and decrease the risk of the child's body shutting down.

"Wh…ere…where am I…?"

The Doctors ears perked up at the sound of the tiny, raucous but muffled voice behind him and he quickly turned on the spot to find the young girl with her head twisted towards him, the breathing mask still positioned on her face. Her green eyes were glistened with panic as she stared at the tall, thin man a couple of feet away from her, not knowing who he was or why he was there with her.

"Oh…hey there," the Doctor greeted with a soft tone, placing down the bits and pieces he had in his hands and making his way over to the table to sit beside the young girl on a small, metallic stool. The thought of the inevitable questions she was going to ask him raced through his mind and he felt his hearts drop for the youngster lying in front of him. It was likely she was going to be confused and also unaware of where she was, and perhaps not know what had happened before he'd rescued her, "don't worry, you're completely safe. I rescued you," he reassured her. The girl still had her eyes fixed into his old brown ones and she blinked weakly.

"W-where am I?" she croaked in repeat, her tiny features turning into a squint as she glanced up at the bright light above her table.

"You're in my spaceship," the Doctor replied, "…like I said, there's no need to worry. You're perfectly safe."

"I don't...I don't feel very well," the child moaned from underneath the mask, attempting to raise herself up on her elbows to get a better view of where she was, and the Doctor placed a hand on her back to help her. But the little girl was frightened by the touch, and she jumped at the feeling of the stranger's hand, trying to scurry away from him on the table.

The Doctor was forced to pull his hand back, but held them up to show her he wasn't about to do anything. "It's alright, don't get scared, I promise I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help," the Doctor reassured, and was happy to see the little girl stop in her efforts to get away from him. If he was going to make her better, they needed some trust between them – but even her trying to get away from him was a positive sign. It told him she still had some energy left within her, and probably enough left to save her life.

The Time Lord reached behind him to pick up a small plastic cup which contained some water which he held up to the girl, but she looked at it as if he was holding something threatening to her face. "It's only cold water…here, take a sip," he encouraged, gesturing for her to take it. The girl eventually reached up her shaking hand, and to the Doctor's delight, she let him take off her oxygen mask so she could drink. He gave her a small smile in return to show her he really wasn't there to cause her harm. "So, what's your name, sweetheart?" he asked. The Time Lord couldn't remember the last time he had called someone 'sweetheart'.

The little girl swallowed some water and looked up to face the strange man again, having to think for a moment before she answered, "N-Nora," she replied timidly.

"Nora? That's a lovely name. Blimey, that's a _great_ name," the Doctor replied. Nora had another sip of the water, but didn't smile or show any type of positivity towards the Doctor…she was simply still too frightened, with her mind still blurred, "I know this might seem a bit, y'know, obvious, but my name's the Doctor,"he added.

"Doctor? Y-you're a doctor?" Nora asked curiously, her eyes diverting from the Time Lord as if she was trying to remember something. Her mind was still blank of everything, but for some reason hearing about a doctor seemed familiar, "I-…I was supposed to be going to see a doctor I think...but something hap..some-thi..."

Without much warning, Nora felt her body becoming limp and she collapsed backwards with a small and scared grunt, dropping the cup of water onto the table. The Time Lord reached out to move the cup away from her and held her head with his hand, looking her up and down. Something was _really_ wrong with this little girl.

"It's okay, Nora, I've got you, just take it easy, you've had a hard few hours," the Doctor assured as he stroked Nora's matted hair, weighing up just how true his statement was. Did the girl know she had lost a family member, or that she'd been slap-bang in the middle of a war? "Listen, Nora…you're very, very ill, but I don't know what with. Even Doctors have their downfalls, and I need to know what it is so I can help you get better."

Nora was still so confused and she could feel her body shaking with the cold. "I…I don't know, I needed some special medicine to h-help me get better…I-I'm so cold."

Just as the Doctor was about to answer, Nora suddenly began to cough lightly, and it only took seconds for the coughing to become violent. The Time Lord sprang to his feet and instantly ran over to the place where he had been working, grabbing the small cocktail of medicine he had produced earlier. Her coughs became louder and harsher as he tried to focus on placing the mixture into the empty syringe. Seconds past and he finally managed to get the last of the medicine through the needle and he sped back to the table where Nora was now crying in distress through her coughs.

"Nora, I need you to lay as still as you can for me," the Doctor ordered, but Nora was unable to reply through her coughing and shaking. He knew her reaction to a needle probably wouldn't be a happy one, but it was the only thing he could come up with to help before he made any greater decisions, "come on Nora can you-"

Nora suddenly screamed a hoarse yell of pain and she convulsed on table, blood running down her lips which sent the Doctor's hearts racing. He reached out both his hands to try and steady her, brushing some of the long brown hair out of her face so it didn't fall into her mouth, but as the seconds ticked by, her convulsions became worse and he realised the medicine was his only shot to stop the girl suffering. He carefully clasped onto her right arm and inserted the needle as gently as he could, watching as the medicine was extracted through the tube and into Nora's blood.

Once all the medicine had been emptied from the syringe, the Doctor withdrew it from her skin and threw it across the floor, quickly scooping the young girl into his arms. He shifted her convulsing frame until she seemed comfortable and he quietly began to make calming noises, feeling the shaking and the convulsions slowly deteriorating as the medicine began to work its way through her system. He reached out to grab the oxygen mask and placed it over her face, telling her to take deep breaths and to listen to his voice. It had been years since he had comforted a child in this manner, and yet it was so natural to him in such a sad way.

Eventually, the convulsions stopped and turned into mild shakes, and the Doctor looked down to see Nora had gone to sleep. Her breathing had calmed and it seemed the medicine was helping her to settle. The Time Lord was starting to realise as he sat with the child in his arms that he was in for the long haul now – he couldn't simply take the girl home and expect her to get the care she needed. It seemed she had been on Oplixion for a reason, and if that reason had been to see a doctor, it was more than likely the care she needed wasn't to be found on her home planet of Sliv'ial. Nora would have to stay with him until he figured out what was wrong with her. The domestics involved within the situation would usually make the Time Lord run a mile, but he's saved Nora, and he had to admit it to himself now – he had a duty of care towards her. He was her doctor.

"Looks like you're going to be here for a while," the Doctor mumbled to her sleeping form, grabbing a tissue so he could wipe the fallen tears from her cheeks and the now dried blood from around her mouth. He still needed to tend to his own wounds, and the limp he was suffering with was likely some sort of sprain, but his body would usually sort itself out in its own time.

Nora was top priority for him now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello - so, a little bit more context in this chapter, but I hope it entertains all the same. I'm hoping the progress I've made as a writer means it will tug on the heartstrings a little better than the last time I wrote any emotional scenes. Sorry it's taken a little longer than planned too.**

 **Please read, review, but most of all, enjoy!**

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The Doctor waited by Nora's side for a couple of minutes to observe for any possible signs of her stirring, but once he was certain she was resting completely, he returned to the analysis machine checking over Nora's blood sample. This time, there were results he could examine on an extensive sheet of printed paper, providing any and every detail an ordinary Doctor would need and more: Nora's blood type, oxygen levels and any abnormalities present. After one brief look, it was clear the little girl was very ill – the amount of irregularities he discovered where rather alarming, even for the Time Lord.

As the Doctor sat with his glasses perched on his nose, he read over each and every abnormal piece of information he could see, his mind working to decipher the cause of Nora's illness. White blood cells within Nora's body were low, and infection had clearly attacked her immune system and hid a deeper medical condition.

After running through everything the Time Lord could possible think of, he concluded to himself Nora was suffering from Sepsis, a severe impurity to her blood causing the fits, the bleeding and the varied temperature drops. An original infection, something as small as a knee graze, would have contaminated Nora's blood and attacked the way her blood functioned to keep her healthy, and if untreated, there would be tragic consequences.

Even though the young girl wasn't pure-blood human, the Doctor had encountered many human based infections and diseases occurring in species closely or distantly related to the occupants of Earth. Morabian's and humans weren't all that different when he listed all the dissimilarities in his head, and ultimately, blood was precious no matter whose veins it was pumping through.

The Doctor turned his head to look at Nora who was still sleeping on the medical bed, and ended up sighing heavily with sympathy. The condition was horrible for anyone who suffered from it, but for such a small and fragile child to be fighting for their life…it didn't seem right, but the Universe was full of nasty surprises, and the Doctor knew that better than anyone.

"Oh, Nora," the Doctor mumbled as he reached up to take his glasses from his face, putting the sheet of paper onto a nearby table, never taking his brown eyes from the sleeping child. Now her illness was in the light, it would be easier to treat – but it was now a commitment. Nora would have to stay with him until he knew she was well enough to return home. He guessed the reason she had been on Oplixion had been to find treatment, which her home planet most likely lacked. It had been the wrong place at the wrong time, utterly and completely, and now she was suffering even more for it. Hopefully, there was still enough time for the treatment to begin working to save her life, and it was now the Doctor's mission to see this through with her.

Deciding Nora could be left to sleep for a while with the oxygen mask and the current dose of medicine, the Doctor was more than ready to get himself out of his torn and spoilt suit into one of his other pinstriped outfits, and make sure his scratches and bruises were healing as well as he wanted. Before he left, he secured Nora's oxygen mask, covered her in a blue blanket he found in one of the cupboards as well as his coat for extra warmth, and even tucked her in. Something he hadn't done for hundreds of years, tucking a child into bed…it felt unnatural, but completely natural all in one go.

Only ten minutes later, the Time Lord had changed his clothes into a blue striped suit and even found a section in the TARDIS wardrobe which contained some child sized clothes, and arranged some for Nora. Now, he was sat in the console room on the jump seat, looking over the large cut he'd accumulated on his leg from the fall. It was nothing serious, and so he left it after cleaning up the dried blood. Even his sore ankle was already mending.

Another heavy sigh escaped him, and the Doctor lifted his long legs up to rest on the edge of the coral console, tilting his head back to stare at the circular patterning of arched walls surrounding him.

It suddenly occurred to him there would be no adventuring or travelling with Nora on board his ship, and the thought made him freeze. His life was all about travelling and he never spent time resting o lazing, but now there was an ultimate restriction to the freedom the Time Lord was so used to. He couldn't leave Nora alone on the TARDIS in her condition, no matter how well she appeared to be – what if she were to fit, fall or become seriously ill if he was away? And to add to the matter she was only a young child. It dawned on him just how much time was going to go into looking after the little girl, but even through the restrictions it was going to bring, he would never have left Nora to die on that planet.

With Nora's condition, it would vary on how long it would take her to recover and sickness was something he'd dealt with many times before, but the Doctor had only scratched the surface on this little girl's mental state. He didn't know if Nora was unaware of one of her family members dying, if the body on the stairs had been someone of relation to her. The grief and the pain of losing somebody so young would be overwhelming, and he would have to be the one to tell her at some point in the near future. He'd watched people die, fought the Universe's most terrifying monsters, yet telling a child a relative wouldn't be with them anymore felt like a blow to both his hearts. Perhaps there was a chance she knew, but it wasn't likely.

The Time Lord ran his hands over his weary face, the thoughts in his already over-worked mind drawing him to contemplate all the realities he was going to face…realities he hadn't faced for years upon years. He'd been a father once before – and again when Jenny had been created. Both times, he'd failed them in one way or another. He'd lost them all. Choosing not to think about losing people helped him to continue, to burn the fuel of what he had set out to do. To travel and see the Universe in its wonder and integrity. Now Nora was reminding him of those blocked memories….a small innocent child, who he needed to cater for and nurture back to health.

"Can I do it…?" the Doctor croaked aloud, not being able to feel the wobble of his bottom lip or the glaze of tears in his brown eyes as all the thoughts clouded his mind. It was the first moment since returning to the TARDIS with Nora where he was able to think to himself, and it opened the closed sections of his broken hearts. All those people he had lost…and he couldn't help but think how much better he would be able to deal with this if someone was with him: Martha, Donna… _Rose_.

The tear that dripped down the Doctor's cheek brought him back into the moment, and upon noticing he was about to weep, he jumped up from the seat with a loud sniff and exhale, rubbing at his cheeks to rid of the tears before he bounded over to the TARDIS doors. He opened them with furious strength, trying to take his mind from the sadness, and he was soon staring out into the maze of blackness and stars surrounding the TARDIS. It was floating peacefully without a sound and the Doctor took in the atmosphere he was so very used to seeing. Yes, he had a responsibility now…but the stars could never be taken away from him and seeing the beauty of them right there reminded him they were still his home. He would always have strength from somewhere. It wasn't like he was facing a hoard of Daleks or a gang of Slitheen, he was looking after a sick little girl who deserved the right to live. And that was all the responsibility he needed.

"Doctor…"

The tiny voice shocked the gazing Time Lord who spun around instantly at the sound, his ears perched on edge whilst his eyes were wide. He was more than surprised to see Nora stood by the console, her tattered dress hanging from her frame whilst she stared directly at the Doctor, completely still. It looked like the girl was in a trance, with her face worn and tired. He'd been so deep in thinking he mustn't have noticed her entering.

"Nora," the Doctor finally managed to address, quickly closing the TARDIS doors – he didn't want to overload the girl by letting her see into the depths of space. It was a view one had to get used to first. "Listen, you shouldn't really be up yet, you still need a firm amount of rest…why don't we go and get you changed and put you back into bed, ey?" It was a wonder the little girl had been able to get out of bed, let alone walk. The dose of medicine he had given her should have put her to sleep for a good few hours whilst he worked around her.

It was as if Nora hadn't heard the Doctor speak. She continued to stare at him blankly, her small hands fiddling with the edges of her dress. It concerned the Doctor prominently, and he was about to move towards her, when Nora began to speak, so faintly even he could barely hear it.

"Save me…light…save me…"

The Time Lord couldn't fathom if the little girl was speaking to him or not considering she seemed to be looking right through him, and he raised an eyebrow. She repeated the same words and phrases over and over again without falter, her fragile voice weeping with fear.

"Nora, you need to-…" the Doctor stopped when he noticed the three blue markings on her temple were beginning to lighten in colour and brightness, the greyness within the blue diminishing as it was replaced by pure light azure. Nora seemed unaware it was happening, but her speech began to get quicker and louder.

"Save me, light, save me!"

The lights around the TARDIS began to flicker on and off, the hum of the old ship becoming distressed as Nora continued to stare at the Time Lord and repeat her worrying phrases, until suddenly, her blue marks glowed so bright the Doctor was forced to squint. Sparks flew from the console and a loud bang secreted around the room as something corrupted on the monitor, and the Doctor could only look on as the little girl began to get quieter once more. The brightness of her markings gradually dimmed until they were merely three small marks around Nora's temple once more, and she seemed to go ridged…until her small body fell towards the floor with her eyes rolling into the back of her head, her mess of hair lying over the grating.

Without the faintest clue on what had just occurred, the Doctor rushed towards the fallen young girl and fell beside her, quickly checking her pulse and her breathing. It was ragged, but she was alive. The Doctor didn't know if it was her who had caused the glitches in the TARDIS, but it sent shivers down his spine…it took vigorous amounts of power to glitch his ship, and yet if Nora was responsible, she'd just managed to blow some lights and knock out the monitor. Alongside being ill, there seemed to be much more to this child than the Doctor originally thought.

The Doctor reached down to scoop Nora into his arms and began to head for the medical bay – he wasn't sure of the last time he'd used the medical bay as much as this, but it was where Nora would need to stay for now. He glimpsed down to see if the girl was steady, and he let out a shuddering breath when he saw her eyes were partially open. She was _awake_.

"Let's not have you go near the console for a while," he stated, mainly to let Nora know he was with her to not abruptly startle her. She seemed subdued and still so very tired, so whatever the meaning was behind the sudden energy flare, it really didn't add up to her current weakness or frail health.

For the second time that day, the Doctor hurried into the medical bay and straight to Nora's allocated bed, placing her on top of the blanket and his coat which had been thrown to the side. She seemed to have slipped out of the bed with ease, the oxygen mask lying discarded on the table beside her bed. He would have to figure out the answer behind the strange occurrence once he'd gotten Nora back into a condition he was happy with. He would need to hunt out the correct medication to start tackling the Sepsis – the medicine used originally wouldn't work forever, and the sooner he started, the better.

Placing a pillow behind her head so she was partially sitting up, the Doctor made sure Nora was covered by his coat again whilst wondering if she was going to wake completely or steadily retreat back into sleep. He sat on the chair and decided to stay to see what the little girl did, wanting to keep a watchful eye over her…he didn't want any of the machinery in here to suddenly combust and spark, otherwise that would mean even more trouble.

Nora's small hand was poking out from underneath his coat, and on a sudden impulse, the Doctor reached out both of his hands to take Nora's and squeezed it gently between his own, rubbing it to warm up the coldness her skin was emitting. His eyes flickered over to the blue markings on the side of her eye, which were now back to the grey tinged colour. He hadn't really paid much attention to the detail, and when he focused on the blue markings, he noticed they weren't the same…each individual marking had its own unique shape. There were three altogether: the top was three individual dots, the middle was a leaf-shaped marking, and the bottom only consisted of two dots. It was rather incredible to see, and something he hadn't encountered on any human based species before. Morabian's would have to go on his study list…

As if reacting to the Doctor's touch, Nora's eyes unexpectedly began to open, blinking ever so gently as they became wide enough to let the Time Lord know she was fully awake and aware. Her vision was blurry, but she had gotten used to it occurring regularly. The little girl groaned quietly and tried to move, and the Doctor quickly flew into reassuring mode.

"Oh, hello - it's perfectly alright, you're safe," the Doctor greeted softly, giving Nora's hand another squeeze. Even if the girl needed rest, it was good she was awake in a way. The Doctor needed more information on her and the story surrounding her illness, and it would be good if they got to know each other a little more. He wouldn't make the child speak if she didn't want to, but this incarnation of the Time Lord was born for talking. He knew his way around a conversation. "You gave me quite a scare there, and that's something not many people can do."

Nora remembered waking up in this strange room with this man, who she knew was her doctor, or _the_ Doctor? The pain in her body had dulled slightly, something she hadn't felt in days upon end, and it startled her.

"I…what happened?" Nora asked. She could feel one of her hands was really warm and it was comforting.

"I'm not too sure myself, do you remember anything?" the Doctor wondered. His instinct was telling him she hadn't intended to do it, and he didn't want to place more stress on her by explaining the incident in detail.

"No, I don't," she replied innocently, now managing to shuffle up the pillow somewhat – in the process, she felt the Doctor's hands were holding hers and she pulled back rather quickly, and the Doctor let her. Nora was still scared about so many things, still confused as to where she was and who this man was. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just really scared…" Nora added.

"Oh, there's no need to be scared," the Doctor clarified with a soft smile. "You're completely safe here. It might all seem a bit…y'know, odd, but I don't bite. Honestly."

Nora somehow found herself nodding, feeling like she could trust this man in a strange way. He seemed nice, and Nora usually was a happy, social little girl with a passion for meeting people, but her current state was diminishing that normally happy child. "Did you say you were a Doctor? I forgot…"

"No, you're absolutely right…I'm _the_ Doctor, to be precise," he told her.

"Oh…okay. C-could you tell me what happened, Doctor?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mingled curiosity and fear. She didn't realise how tight she was holding the brown coat covering her, but the material of it reminded her of her own blanket from home.

The Doctor swallowed and sighed, resting his shoes on the bar of the chair so he was sat with his arms crossed over his knees, trying to clarify how to go about information overload. This was the time questions needed to be asked, and answers needed to be given. It was inevitable, and it needed to happen for him to continue helping Nora, and to give her some peace of mind, no matter how hard the truth was going to be.

"Well, let's see what you know, first, sweetheart…can you remember what happened on that planet? The planet I found you on, Oplixion. You were in an office. Anything you can remember, you can tell me," the Doctor assured.

The little girl began to think as hard as she could and looked down towards the coat with her deep blue eyes. "I…I've been really ill, and I needed to get better. Mummy and Daddy took me there because the people said they had medicine for me, medicine that could make me better. B-but then, I heard horrible noises and Mummy and Daddy left, and I didn't know what to do. I remember waking up in here and seeing you…but that's all I can remember, so far."

Oh, what was he going to say? The Doctor was now sure Nora wasn't aware of the deaths, and to make it all so much harder, they were her parents. The man laying on the stairs...but there had been no sign of her mother. Everything seemed to get so much darker in a matter of seconds.

"Well, that's okay, sometimes it's hard to remember things if you've been scared or hurt," the Doctor held, wondering what he was supposed to say next. The words just didn't want to escape his mouth. "But, Nora…there's something I have to tell you, before we go any further…something I really do-"

"Where are Mummy and Daddy?"

The Doctor's hearts froze and dropped all in one go inside his chest, the small and innocent voice catching him off-guard. His expression almost instantly began to expel deep sorrow, sorrow he understood all too well. Nora was waiting for an answer, and the silence was far from comforting for her. She held the coat so tightly her small knuckles turned white, and her eyes were soon filling up with confused tears.

"Why aren't Mummy and Daddy here? You saved them too, Doctor...didn't you?"

The Doctor could feel a lump developing in the middle of his throat and he swallowed the overwhelming grief, bringing his legs down from the chair so he could lean forwards and look at the young girl as sincerely as he could. But he didn't need to look at Nora to be able to see the desperation on her small features, waiting for the answer she wanted, but was never going to hear.

In the end, the Doctor couldn't bare keeping the little girl in the dark, and he slowly began to shake his head ever so faintly from side to side, unable to stop the force of his reaction breaking his own hearts. Nora tried to understand as best she could, with only the occasional sound in the large room being her own wisp of breath, until the realisation sunk in. Sobs were soon replacing all else known to Nora.

Shattering someone's world never got easier. The Doctor ended up rubbing his watery eyes with the back of his hands, unable to stop the sharp shattering exhale. "Nora, I'm sorry…I'm so, _so_ sorry," he whispered, moving his hand to meet Nora's devastated face, which was buried into his coat. How could he let her cry like this alone? He was here for this child, and it was his job to console her. His hand reached out to stroke the back of her hair, but Nora jumped and moved with a sickly wail, her face appearing from the coat to look at his hand hovering by her head. She didn't know what to do or how to handle the idea her Mummy and Daddy were never coming back to her…

"I'm right here, Nora," the Doctor croaked, unable to fight the emotion in his voice. Nora shook and coughed, barely able to look at the Doctor with her sobs soon becoming sharp cries that only fed the Time Lord's pain and sympathy. "Shh, shh, come here."

He made a move to stand and sat on the edge of her bed, having reached out to take hold of the little girl and brought her to him, holding her firmly to his chest with his arms securely enveloped around her as she wept hysterically. There was so rejection this time, but he only felt her arms wrapping around his thin waist after a minute or so, her small fingers clutching onto the material of his suit. She was so devastated it didn't matter this man was a stranger.

"I-It's my fault, I-I did this," she suddenly cried, her breathing becoming dangerously rapid, but the Doctor would be unable to control it. But there was something he could control – he wouldn't let this child blame herself for her parent's deaths. Not for one second.

"No, no… _no_ , it's not," the Time Lord stated, holding the back of Nora's head so he could look down at her, but the child's face was firmly pressed against his chest. "None of this is your fault…Oplixion was destined to fall into war, and you are not to be blamed for that. Your parents were doing what was best for you, and you got caught up in something terrible. You're not to be blamed for any of this, Nora."

Even with the Doctor's comforting words, it wasn't enough to console Nora. Learning she was never going to see her mother's smile again, hear her father's laughter or physically see them ever again had broken her small heart, shattering the little girl's world, which was the only world she knew. The Doctor continued to make soothing noises, and as the grief continued, a single tear dripped down his own cheek

"I can't bring your parents back, but I can help you – I can make you better," the Doctor explained, not only to reassure Nora, but to reassure himself – he was going to help this little girl, no matter what it took. "Just you want me…"

She didn't know…Nora was oblivious. She had lost her parents that day, and almost died in the hands of war. But she'd gained a saviour through it all. And soon, she would know him as the Lonely Angel.

The man who was going to make her better.


End file.
